Shifts of Fate
by Lethargy
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Sasuke kills Naruto. Or so he thinks... AU fic that picks up during the Rescue Sasuke arc. Temporary Title!
1. Death

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is copyright Kishimoto Masashi and related enterprises. I am merely borrowing the characters for my own amusement.

**Opening Notes: **Compared to most of my friends, I'm a relative newbie in the Naruto field. If I make a mistake, please do not hesitate to tell me so I can correct it accordingly. However, do keep in mind that this is an AU fic, so some events will not correspond with the manga/anime timelines.

The story itself takes place in the middle of Episode 133, after Sasuke burns up the chain of Naruto clones...and it deviates from there. Enjoy your stay!

* * *

"_Oh, for the time when I shall sleep_

_Without identity."_

_- Emily Bronte_

* * *

"A...amazing," Naruto muttered in shock, staring blankly at Sasuke's shoes. Shockingly enough, the Uchiha had destroyed all of his clones with his fireball jutsu. The only reason that Naruto was alive right now (and not a well-done piece of meat) was the fact that he had the Nine-tails' chakra protecting him. 

But still...

His body hurt like _hell_. It screamed at him for being an idiot and clinging to Sasuke's ankles instead of hiding at the bottom of the river like any sane person would have done. His hands hissed at the heat of the lava-encrusted earth beneath his fingers. And there was a distinct smell of charred flesh in the air, though the Nine-tails had healed most of the damage for him already.

In the silence following the attack, Sasuke spoke.

"Shut up, Naruto."

His voice was deeper, taking on a distinctly gravelly tone. In one swift motion the sable-haired Uchiha was dangling Naruto by his jacket cuff, glaring at him with Sharingan eyes.

"It's already too late, Naruto!" With a growl, Sasuke flung Naruto off the edge of the cliff and dived after him. His hands closed around Naruto's ankles while his feet caught the blonde boy in a vicious headlock.

Their descent was swiftly vertical. Two seconds later, there was a sickening _crunch. _Naruto had impacted headfirst into the rocky shore beneath the cliff. His body, released from Sasuke's grasp, slowly flopped down to the ground and rolled into the river, where it floated limply. The neck was twisted back at an impossibly sharp angle.

Back on shore, Sasuke stumbled away, only to fall to his hands and knees as an inexplicable urge to vomit overcame him. He gagged and heaved, but nothing came up but foul-tasting bile.

_Damn it, I'm not this weak!_

Sasuke clenched his fist and covered his mouth with his free hand, still gagging.

_This is...this is what I've wanted all along. That's why this fight has meaning! _

More coughing. Sasuke forced himself to stop and turned to look at Naruto.

The river's surface was shrouded in a fine layer of mist. Above the cliffs, the blue sky was marred with streaks of black clouds, promising rain in the near future. And between them both laid his opponent, his body still and unmoving.

Sasuke's mind flashed back to Itachi's words.

-o-

"_You are also capable of activating the Mangekyou Sharingan. But, there is a requirement for that._

_You must kill..._

_...your closest friend."_

-o-

Naruto wasn't moving.

_Any minute now. _Sasuke thought, expecting the stupid dobe to get up and laugh, calling him names for being so weak.

"_Ha! You think you're so great?" _Naruto would taunt him. _"That didn't hurt at all, you dumbass! You can't kill me—I'm going to be the next Hokage!"_

Silence, but for the roaring of the falls behind him.

_Come on, dead last. _Sasuke gritted his teeth. _Get up. Show me what's so special about you that brother would pick you over me._

And still...

Naruto wasn't moving.

Another voice popped up in his head.

"_I'm **dead**, dumbass."_

Naruto's voice.

_Crap._

Sasuke got to his feet and watched in silence as the body of his best friend drifted down the river.

The pupils in his eyelids twisted and merged together to form a new pair of eyes.

The Mangekyou Sharingan.

"I told you already," Sasuke muttered, eyes fading to black. "I don't have a future with Konoha anymore."

He turned and ran for the forest.

_I won't turn back._

* * *

Five hundred feet downriver, a small body was slowly being engulfed by red chakra. A finger twitched, and fell still.

* * *

**Closing Notes: **Short, I know. XP As for that last part, Itachi never elaborated on whether a friend really had to be as dead as a doorknob before one could get the Mangekyou Sharingan...or whether the person killing their friend just had to _believe_ he was dead. So basically, I'm taking creative license here. Nyahh! 


	2. Loss

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto...he'd be my plushie.

**Opening Notes: **I had three different ideas about how to approach this chapter. In the end, none of them made it to the final product. What you have here is the result—a relatively generic thing while I collect my thoughts. Heh. _Wait a minute, that doesn't sound very optimistic..._

* * *

"_Victory and defeat are each of the same price."_

_-Thomas Jefferson_

* * *

Slowly, the clouds gathered in the sky, congregating around the site of the fateful battle.

And then, they began to weep.

"Rain," Kakashi muttered worriedly as he and Pakkun leaped from treetop to treetop. "Have their scents disappeared?"

The nin dog was calm. "It's all right. They're close." His nose caught the faint source of the persistent odor that had led them this far. "Over here!"

The partners agilely skipped down the cliff face of the Valley of the End to an exposed patch of rock 300 feet down. Pakkun sniffed around cautiously, his nose straining against the dulling torrents of rain.

"They were **here**," he growled, noting the barren surroundings.

"..." Kakashi was already scanning the area for more clues. He silently cursed the rain—without it, their job would have been ten times easier. One eye focused on the damages on both sides of the waterfall—two large, gaping holes that left ugly wounds in the cliff face. No doubt made by Naruto and Sasuke. The boys themselves, however...

Pakkun sniffed the air again. "It's no use," he said after a while. "I can't smell either of them anymore." He peered into the fog, half-hoping that both boys could just walk out and say hello. "What now, Kakashi?"

The jounin remained silent, one hand scratching the back of his head. Pakkun waited patiently.

"Chakra signatures," Kakashi finally spoke.

"..." If Pakkun had eyebrows, he'd be raising them by now.

"I can feel both of their chakra signatures. As genin, they haven't fully mastered the art of concealing it perfectly." He paused. There was something strange going on, though. Sasuke's chakra seemed...darker...more evil, as if it had somehow been poisoned...

Kakashi narrowed his eye. That was probably where Orochimaru came in.

Naruto, on the other hand, faded in and out from Kakashi's senses like an erratic heartbeat—sometimes flaring up with an intense roar...other times, dying out completely like a candle flame.

_What the..._

The fluctuations gave the jounin pause. He had been set on going after Sasuke—and rescue his student from Orochimaru's clutches to pound some sense into him—but he hadn't expected Naruto to get so..._hurt_. In his memories, the young genin had always been fast to heal, inhumanly strong and ridiculously energetic, thanks to the Nine Tails. Yet the boy he was sensing now...

Kakashi couldn't help but feel that something was terribly out of place. And he never doubted his instincts.

In a flash, the silver-haired ninja had leaped atop the river and was sprinting downstream at full speed. Half a second later, Pakkun caught up, panting slightly.

"What is it?" the ninken**(1) **asked.

"Something's wrong with Naruto," Kakashi said tersely. "We need to find him and take him back to the village."

Pakkun blinked. "What about Sasuke-kun?**(2)**" _His most prized student..._

Kakashi said nothing. Pakkun didn't press the issue.

* * *

Deep inside the woods, Sasuke trudged on towards Orochimaru's lair. He'd released Sharingan right after the battle, but his eyes still stung as if they were splinters digging into his skull.

He had finally killed Naruto—one of his best friends. Heck, one of his only friends, now that he thought of it.

At first, there had been shock...then a wave of emotions that dashed him to the ground and drowned him in their depths, over and over again. A gloating, self-smug triumph over his success. The raw guilt, gnawing at him like a wolf on a bone. Anger that the dobe was stupid enough to die so easily. And then...a strange, numbing calm.

He'd done it. He'd proven to them both that he was stronger.

There had been pain—even sadness, at first, but Sasuke had viciously pounded them into nonexistence. Shinobi were supposed to be emotionless tools—but for hatred, all other feelings were unnecessary baggage. They could not afford the luxury of grief in battle. His former classmates...those Konoha genin...living their lives in a peaceful village had softened them.

_Naruto was an idiot. _Sasuke reflected blankly. _He allowed his anger to get the better of him...and lost the battle._

Obsidian orbs glared defiantly into the mist-laden trees.

_I will never be that weak. _

_I will get stronger...and then, I'll kill Itachi once and for all._

Two fingers gently rested themselves on his eyes.

_I wonder..._

Absorbed in thoughts of revenge, the young Uchiha walked on, rain soaking him to the skin.

* * *

**-Downriver-**

* * *

The prone body of a young blonde genin laid sprawled on the muddy ground, soaked and shivering as he thrashed in throes of some terrible nightmare...

_He was reliving those moments all over again—but this time, the pain was terribly, terribly, real._

_Sasuke, his friend, looking at him through crazed Sharingan eyes. _

_The ugly marks of the Curse Seal marring his skin, twisting the triumphant smirk on his face to one of sadistic glee. _

_One hand held the Chidori, crackling with malicious intent. The other gripped Naruto by his cuff, suspending him a foot above the water._

_He wanted to stop him, but his body wouldn't move. Twitching, he tried to lift his arm like he had done before, but found that it was useless._

"_It's too late, Naruto!" Sasuke snarled, thrusting the crackling orb of electricity towards his heart._

_Naruto felt his breath hitch as he prepared to intercept the attack—but his body remained paralyzed under Sasuke's iron grip. _

_And Naruto screamed as white-hot heat enveloped his heart, sending an explosion of agony through his writhing body._

* * *

"Gaaauughh!"

Blood spurted out of Naruto's mouth as he woke, coughing violently. He gasped for breath, realizing through half-dazed eyes that he had been washed ashore by the currents.

Naruto groaned, squinting as raindrops fell on his face. _It was just a nightmare. It's not real. Not. Real._

But even so, his heart beat furiously, and Naruto instinctively covered it with one hand.

_Damn it, where am I?_

He was disinclined to move much after that last spat—besides, he probably needed the rest—and remained staring at the skies as rain drenched his face, piecing together the last moments of his consciousness.

There had been fire. A lot of fire, followed by a lot of pain.

Sasuke shouting at him. The sensation of falling through the air, feeling the taste of dirt in his mouth before the nauseating sensation of something _snapping _in the back of his head had sent him into oblivion.

_What...happened?_

Grudgingly, Naruto pulled himself to a sitting position and was greeted by a sharp pain lancing through his chest. _Shit. It just won't go away. Now where the hell is Sasuke?_

_­_His ears strained to hear the roar of the waterfall, but the falling rain muffled his efforts.

_ARGH! Don't tell me the bastard's on his way to Orochimaru already!_

Naruto struggled to his feet, but hastily covered his mouth as more blood rose to his throat.

_What the hell...?_

Waves of dizziness washed over him. Naruto braced himself and closed his eyes, willing the spell to pass.

_I can't stop now...I promised..._

An image of Sakura's tearstained face rose in his memory.

_Sakura...I'll definitely bring him back!_

But right now he was having difficulty just standing.

_Damn fox...why aren't you healing me correctly?_

Naruto took a slow, painful step, drawing shallow breaths. He suddenly froze.

_Oh, crap._

Blood exploded from Naruto's mouth, staining the ground a dark crimson. Naruto coughed and spat, trying to quell his rising urge to vomit.

_Tsunade-baachan isn't here this time, _Naruto thought. _If I faint now, then...then no one will be here to heal me..._

"AHHHHHHH! Stupid Sasuke! This is all your fault!"

Coughing wracked his system, causing Naruto to bend over and cover his mouth. The bitter tang of rust flooded his taste buds.

_Stuck-up bastard. _Naruto wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, staining it red. _Why did you leave us? Why did you abandon Sakura?_

His legs began to tremble. Growling, he dug his heels into the soft mud, steeling himself to remain upright.

_You're not going to beat me like this, Sasuke-bastard._

Panting with the effort, Naruto's eyes glazed over as he glared at a fixed point beyond the river.

_Damn you to hell, Uchiha. What were you doing, pretending to be my friend so you could murder me? You bastard!_

The scenery began to fade in and out like a badly tuned television. Naruto coughed, bringing up more blood.

_What, am I leaking? _He grimaced. _Well, that's just great. Just **great! **_

"Naruto!"

_Hnn...who's that...?_

Through the saturated mist, he thought he could see one...no, two figures, approaching him at high speeds. One was abnormally short.

_...huh? That almost looks like...a dog? Kiba...?_

"Naruto-kun, what happened? I could smell your blood from a mile away!" A second voice, from the smaller figure.

_Akamaru can talk...?_

Naruto had to blink twice when a familiar masked face suddenly loomed into view inches away from his own.

"You're badly hurt," one half-lidded eye was appraising him critically. "Lie down."

"K...Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto mumbled. "What...what are you...?"

"I came after you," Kakashi's eye grinned cheerfully. "Now listen to your sensei. I have to examine you."

"No." Naruto suddenly gripped Kakashi's vest for support, caught by a wave of urgency. "Sensei, you have to go after Sasuke. The bastard's on his way to Orochimaru—"

* * *

"!" Kakashi held Naruto up as the boy was set upon by a fit of coughing. He didn't bat an eye when blood flew out to stain his clothes.

_I've never seen Naruto hurt this bad...how is he even standing in these conditions?_

"Well?" Naruto rasped. "He's g...getting away. Go after him. Sakura—"

"Naruto, you need medical attention immediately," Pakkun interrupted. "We'll take you back to Konoha."

"I'll be fine," Naruto gave a bloody chuckle. "I haven't died yet, right, Kakashi-sensei?"

The latter was currently trying to determine the extent of Naruto's condition with his eyes.

_He seems to suffering from internal injuries...but...what's this?_

One eye narrowed in concern as it focused on a large hole in Naruto's shirt.

_A circular tear...?_

But his attention was quickly diverted as Naruto started to cough again.

"What happened, Naruto?" Kakashi asked urgently. "Who did this to you?"

Naruto was shaking his head, murmuring under his breath. Kakashi had to bend down to catch the words.

"...bastard...couldn't remember...knocked me out...Sakura-chan...ugh, stupid fox..."

Naruto's clenched his fists as he hissed. "Don't...let him get away..."

Kakashi kept a firm grip on the blonde as he slipped into unconsciousness.

_So I came too late after all..._

"Pakkun, I'm taking him back."

The ninken merely nodded and disappeared, having completed the purpose of his summons. In the meantime, Kakashi laid Naruto on the wet ground and started a physical examination. All ninja, whether or not they were medic nins, had basic knowledge of human anatomy. It was imperative for survival on dangerous missions.

_His skin is unscratched. _Kakashi observed. He applied careful pressure to the boy's chest, watching closely as Naruto's expression contorted into one of agony. _Looks like he has a few broken bones...judging from the blood, they might have hit some organs, too. Not good. _**(3)**

As he felt for a pulse, his eyes trailed back to the tear in Naruto's shirt again.

_That hole...something about it is...off._

Excluding the ragged edges, the hole was perfectly round, about the size of a fist. Like everywhere else, the skin exposed underneath was unscratched.

_I'll have to check it out later._

Cradling Naruto in his arms, Kakashi started walking up the side of the cliff, step by step.

It was, suffice to say, a long and arduous journey. He couldn't run for fear of injuring Naruto, but walking at such a slow speed meant he had to concentrate on where he was going, and it was hard to see any details on the drenched rocks. All the while, the rain fell incessantly on his face, trickling into his eye and half-blinding him. It made him half-wish that Pakkun was by his side to help him out—but after returning from a difficult mission to chase after his students and the subsequent run downriver to find Naruto's body _(and it was a living, breathing, body—not a corpse, Kakashi thought over and over again, because corpses were dead and cold and Naruto was—Naruto was warm and glowing and very much alive so he wasn't as late as he'd feared)_, his chakra reserves had begun to take a noticeable dip. Although Kakashi was fairly certain that the return trip would meet with no obstacles, but he had no desire to undergo unnecessary risks with an injured student in his care.

By the time he reached the top, the rainstorm had dwindled down to a drizzle. The silver haired jounin paused to rest, reflecting on the bleakness of his surroundings.

Clouds, mist...and stone.

It was a desolate scene. Kakashi stared out through semi-lidded eyes, now regretting his decision to dismiss Pakkun. The journey back to Konoha would be lonely without anyone to talk to.

"...mrph."

Kakashi cast a startled glance over his shoulder to come face-to-face with a pair of bright blue eyes.

"Naruto?"

_You're awake...?_

Naruto blinked wearily, eyes glazed over with confusion and pain. "...get...Sa...sske?"

Kakashi was surprised, to say the least. Naruto was still obsessing over his teammate?

He hesitated before replying back. "Don't worry," Kakashi lied. "He's fine."

_I can only hope..._

Naruto seemed satisfied enough—and promptly closed his eyes.

* * *

Hidden amongst the foliage, Zetsu**(4)** observed impassively as the older shinobi raced back to Konoha, his student on his back. Naruto was out cold.

_I am severely disappointed in you, Naruto. _Zetsu frowned. _You were defeated despite your status as the Nine-tails vessel._

A resigned look grudgingly settled over his features._ Ah, well. The leader will want to hear of this development, nonetheless._

Sunlight broke through the clouds as the grass nin settled down to contact the Akatsuki.

* * *

**(1) **Ninken means nin dog in Japanese. A handy synonym. (u.u)

**(2) **Um, what exactly _does _Pakkun call Team 7? I'm not sure if there are suffixes or not, but I added them in this case since Pakkun is, well, their _sensei_'s ninken. Now to figure out whether nin-dogs can really walk on water...hmm.

**(3) **Um, yea. I have no medical knowledge whatsoever. Just wanted to tell you that. (And the Internet wasn't much help.) Blame anything Kakashi did wrong on the fact that he is not a bona fide medical nin.

**(4) **Zetsu: The Akatsuki member who cosplays as a Venus Fly Trap on duty...oh joy...

**Closing Notes: **Ok, besides some minor changes here and there, this chapter was basically a recap from the anime. Never fear! I shall place in more twists as the story goes on...hopefully... ((proceeds to sweatdrop like crazy...)) By the way...that Sai character in the newest Naruto installment...is Sai a girl or a boy? The name is vague enough for both, as is the appearance, but he/she is also showing his/her stomach, which is kind of feminine for me. Knowing Kishimoto, it'll probably be a guy, but I have my fingers crossed for a tomboy...because that doesn't sound so bad, either. Guess we'll have to wait to find out...

((Wow, all this waiting for a chapter of nothingness. I feel proud! –commences crying tears of joy- So _this _is the power of youth!))

_-A warm thanks goes to all who reviewed!-_


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